


2:30 AM

by RinHaruismyOTP



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Blood, Chimeras, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Post-Promised Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-19 23:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11908350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RinHaruismyOTP/pseuds/RinHaruismyOTP
Summary: On paper, it seemed like the perfect mission for Ed. Evidently it had not been all it seemed.





	2:30 AM

For as much as General Roy Mustang laughed at Havoc’s jeers about him needing beauty sleep whenever he headed home early, being woken at almost two thirty in the morning by a sharp rapping at his door was not something he enjoyed. For a minute or so after waking Roy managed to stay in place, hoping beyond hope that whoever it was would leave him alone, but as the knocking persisted he resigned himself and got up, throwing on a dressing gown and storming down the stairs.

It became blatantly obvious to him, as he stumbled over a book left on the floor and through bleary vision avoided crashing into a wall by a hair, why two thirty was a time for _sleeping_ rather than hammering on doors for extended periods of time. The only person obnoxious enough to do something like that was, luckily for Roy and debatably his itching libido, on a mission at least one hundred miles away last he checked. Opening the door he was, understandably, angry and tired.

Which all seemed to evaporate the moment to door was open. Edward stood shivering on the porch, blood splattered indiscriminately across his body and clothes and wide eyed. His lips trembled, and Roy felt such horror it felt as though a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him at the sight.

“B-bastard,” Ed stuttered, eyes flickering from Roy’s face to the hallway and back faster than Roy could monitor. “Aren’t y-you gonna let m-me in?” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at his feet, looking so small Roy thought his red coat might swallow him up.

Roy moved to the side and gestured him in. “Of course,” he said, and Ed stomped into his house. The young man then stopped, glancing around uncertainly.

“Er, shower?” he said hesitantly, and Roy pointed him up the stairs.

“First door on the left,” he said, and watched as Ed flew up the stairs, seemingly determined to rid himself of the blood as he tore off his coat and flung it behind him as he went. Roy, unsure of what to do, went to make tea for them both, absent-mindedly arranging biscuits on a plate as he heard the shower turn on.

He was confused, in all truth, and more than a little worried. Ed had left for the north just over a week ago for an assignment expected to last a month at least, working with a laboratory of eager scientists and alchemists who had requested the ex-Fullmetal Alchemist’s guidance on a project on which they’d been working. On paper, it seemed like the perfect mission for Ed. Evidently it had not been all it seemed.

Since the Promised Day, Alphonse had been recovering in Resembool with the Elrics’ childhood friend and grandma, so Ed had been on assignment alone, meaning there was no one else Roy could ask what had happened. He’d have to make do with however much or little Ed decided to tell him, if he told him anything. Roy sighed, pouring out the tea and wondering what could have happened to make Ed look so…scared. So childlike, though Truth knew Ed’s days as a child were long over, now physically as well as mentally at the age of nineteen. And boy if Roy hadn’t noticed that, though that was neither here nor there for the moment, pushed as far back in his mind as it could go at the sight of Ed so uncomfortable and afraid on his doorstep, in his house.

There was a loud smash, and Roy looked down, surprised to see he’d knocked one of the mugs off the counter and swearing when the burning set in from the tea that had fallen on his arm. He rushed to run it under cold water and, distracted, didn’t notice the shower turning off. It was a few minutes later, as he swept up the broken china with plans to transmute it back together later that Ed appeared in the doorway.

Roy stared. “You’re…Those are my clothes,” he said stupidly, and he cursed inwardly, ready for a snort and an ‘I didn’t realise it was point out the obvious day. I am blonde’ from Ed, but none came. Instead, he was flashed a weak grimace, but Roy was too held up by Ed in his clothes, which had, until now, concealed itself from Roy as the sexiest thing he’d ever experienced.

“Sorry, mine’s all…” Ed drifted off and Roy was swept back into reality by the realisation that Ed’s clothing was stained with blood.

“Oh, right,” said Roy, somewhat horrified with himself. “I can wash it for you later, if you’d like,” he offered.

“Thanks.” Roy smiled and stood, leaving the full dustpan on the side and passing Ed his cup of tea. He then guided the young man through to the living room.

The room fell silent but for the occasional slurping of tea from Ed. Roy wanted to ask what happened, but was unsure how to phrase the question, as a friend or as a superior. He didn’t really know which of the two Ed had come to see. A wave of exhaustion ran over him and he had to smother a yawn, but Ed saw it anyway and gave a faint grin.

“Sorry for waking you up so late,” he said.

“I was awake anyway,” Roy lied. Ed sent him an amused look that told him he was fooling no one and for the first time that night Roy was suddenly self-conscious, wondering what state he was in and wishing he’d thought to put a mirror above one of the sofas.

“I guess you want to know what happened,” Ed said, putting down his mug and pulling up his knees into his chest.

“Only if you’re comfortable talking about it,” Roy said truthfully, choosing to omit until a later date that some sort of report would have to be written up at some point to record his work though sure Ed would have realised already.

“It was chimeras,” Ed said, and it felt like a punch to Roy’s gut. He felt sick, and he could only imagined how the feeling must be magnified in Ed.

“Go on,” he said hesitantly, wishing he’d poured out a replacement cup of tea for himself just to keep his hands busy.

“The scientists, I didn’t realise it at first, I was too- fuck, I was too immersed in the science and the bloody _illusion_ of being able to do alchemy again. I was looking at all these arrays, and it was almost like I was hungry for it, to twist and create the perfect array like I could before. It blinded me, and I recognised too late the similarities to human transmutation.” He stopped for a moment. “Stupid,” he said then, berating himself, and Roy opened his mouth to speak but Ed flashed him a look, stopping him.

“So, when I did realise, I thought, _maybe I’m wrong_. After all, I was out of practice. So I snooped.” Roy rolled his eyes at this, amused despite himself. “But the thing was, the array I helped them with would have worked. Would have created a chimera, possibly even one that would live without nearly as much pain, though I wouldn’t bet anything on it. Not human like Darius and Heinkel, but two or more animals mixed together in one. But they’d already started experimenting before the array was perfected, using the results as guidance to what to do next and there were…all these _creatures_ , deformed, pained, savage, and one just came right at me. And then, when I thought I was a goner, it exploded.”

Roy blinked. “Exploded?” he questioned.

Ed nodded grimly, and Roy noticed he was shivering again. “The array they’d used, it wasn’t _balanced_. There was so much excess energy stored up in the thing that the fast movement made it explode. That’s…that’s the blood.

“So I got out of there. Burned the array and called the police to arrest the scientists. I…I don’t know if they’ll have found the chimeras. You should probably check that out,” he said, as though just thinking of it. Roy made a mental note to do so. Chimeras falling into the wrong hands, particularly the military’s, could lead to atrocities. “I don’t really remember much after that. I just remember thinking I had to get away, get somewhere safe, and, well, here I am,” Ed finished, and Roy nodded, considering.

“Why not go to Resembool?” he asked, curious, and Ed shrugged.

“I didn’t really want to bring this sort of stuff up with Al, I guess. He’d want to start coming out on missions with me again, and whilst he’s healed now, I know he enjoys the life he has now. He wouldn’t want to leave Winry.” He looked up abruptly. “Or wait, do you not want me here? I can leave-”

“Ed, you’re always welcome here,” Roy interrupted him, and Ed’s body relaxed. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Ed smiled wryly. “You know, all I can think now is how glad I am I haven’t accepted any of Ling’s offers to teach me to recognise _qi_.” He pulled out his braid. “That would have really messed me up, feeling their pain.”

Roy looked at the clock on the mantelpiece; it was nearing three o’clock. “You should get some rest,” he said. “You can sleep here for the night.”

Ed was quiet, then nodded. “I- I don’t want to be alone. Is it okay if I sleep with you?” His cheeks immediately reddened. “Not, not _sleep_ sleep, just sleep! Literal sleep! I don’t mean-”

“Ed,” Roy cut him off, smiling. “You can sleep with me.” He laughed as Ed’s face grew even brighter. “Come on.”

They got ready for bed, and Roy was pleased he’d remembered to buy a spare toothbrush for his en suite. He climbed into bed, lying against the wall and watching as Ed hesitantly slipped under the covers beside him, dressed in Roy’s smallest pair of pyjamas and leaving plenty of room between them. Roy leant over and turned off the lamp, catching a whiff of his soap on Ed’s body, setting an irrational wave of possessiveness through him. He hurriedly returned to his side of the bed, but couldn’t get to sleep with his fingers itching to reach out and touch the other man.

About half an hour later Ed turned to him. “Are you awake?” he whispered.

“Yes,” Roy returned.

“Thank you for this,” he said. “I don’t think I could have coped sleeping alone tonight.”

Roy cleared his throat, mentally preparing himself. “You never have to be,” he said quietly, and saw Ed tense. “I-I care for you beyond words, Ed, and anything you ever need from me, I’ll quite happily give you,” he admitted, heart pounding.

“Are you…” Ed paused. “Are you in love with me?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Roy, smiling weakly. “I’m more in love with you than I could ever say, Edward.”

“‘Edward’,” Ed snorted, but then went quiet. Then, hesitantly he reached out his arm and ran his fingers down Roy’s. Roy couldn’t hold back a shudder. “Me too, I think,” Ed said finally, and Roy grinned, the butterflies in his stomach dancing.

“I’m glad,” he said, picking up Ed’s fingers in his and clasping them tight, bringing the up to his mouth for a soft kiss. “Now sleep,” he ordered, still smiling. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

It was remarkably easy to fall asleep after that.

**Author's Note:**

> Woo hope you enjoyed it!! Feedback is always welcome and if you spot any mistakes please tell me!!


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